Connecticut’s State Flower is in full bloom right now and so are ours here at the nursery. Kalmia latifolia is the native woodland shrub you’ve noticed in full bloom all over the eastern half of the U.S. It has the interesting cupped flower clusters we’re all familiar with. The stamens are held in the pocket of each petal just waiting for a pollinator to come by so it can spring to action coating the insect with pollen – pretty ingenious! The flowers of the species have light pink buds that open white but the cultivars can range from pure white to deep pink. Grown right here in Newtown makes them a great local choice. Here are some we have in stock right now: Carol, Little Linda, Olympic Fire, Pink Charm, Snowdrift and Sarah. We also have limited numbers on the species – Kalmia latifolia in B&B sizes.

Plant in morning sun to dappled shade in rich, well-drained soil. Using a product like M-Roots is a good idea at planting time. They don’t like wet feet so plant them slightly higher than ground level and mulch them. Being an Ericaceous plant they need acid soil so the best fertilizer would be Espoma’s Holly-tone or Woodace 12-3-6 A.C.R.E.